Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a shelf structure, and more particularly to a shelf supporting beam configuration for a shelving apparatus, which can effectively transfer the downward weighting force of the object to the entire shelving apparatus.
Description of Related Arts
A conventional shelf structure comprises four vertical posts vertically extended from four corners of the shelf structure and a plurality of supporting panels horizontally and spacedly coupled at the vertical posts to form a shelving unit for supporting objects. As shown in FIG. 1, each vertical post comprises a plurality of tubular post members A1 arranged to align end-to-end. Each of the supporting panels comprises a panel body A2 and four tubular connectors A3 provided at four corners of the panel body A2, wherein the end of the post member A1 is inserted into the tubular connector A3 in order to connect the supporting panel at the vertical post. Accordingly, the configuration of the panel body A2 is fixed such that the size of the panel body A2 cannot be adjusted.
An improved shelf structure is provided to enhance the storage space by reducing the size of the post connection, as shown in FIG. 2, wherein the shelf structure comprises four vertical posts each comprising a plurality of L-shaped post members B1 and a plurality of supporting panels horizontally and spacedly coupled at the vertical posts to form a shelving unit. Each supporting panel comprises a plurality of beams B3 coupled between two of the post member B1 and a panel body B4 supported by the beams B3. As shown in FIG. 2, each beam B3 has a top edge B31, a bottom edge B32, and a L-shaped folding flange B33 being folded at the top edge B31, wherein the folding flange B33 has a folding flange portion B34 overlapped on the inner side of the beam B3 and a shelf supporting portion B35 perpendicularly extended from the inner side of the beam B3 to define an upper shelf support surface B36 and a lower shelf support surface B37. Therefore, the beam B3 is reversibly coupled to the post member B1 between a first configuration that the panel body is supported by the upper shelf support surface B36 to provide a shelf configuration with no upstanding lip and a second configuration that the panel body B4 is supported by the lower shelf support surface B37 to provide a shelf configuration with upstanding lip. However, the major drawback of this shelf configuration is that when the object is supported on the panel body B34, the downward weighting force of the object will substantially exert to the folding flange B33 to create stress along the top edge B31 of the beam B3. Since the folding flange is folded along the top edge B31 of the beam B3, the excessive downward force of the panel body B4 and the object thereon will bend the folding flange B33 and even twist the beam B3. Once the folding flange portion B34 or the shelf supporting portion B35 is bent or deformed, the panel body B34 cannot be stably supported by the beam B3. Therefore, the overall structure of the shelving unit become wobble and unstable.